The Queen and the Joker
by Melody Malone
Summary: Oneshot. Tiara can't be cast in the lead role without a partner, and if she can't accept that, she'll have to have a partner chosen for her. Can they work together, or are Tiara's dreams of reigning the school fading? TiaraxJimmie, Jimara. For Sam! :p


**The Queen and the Joker  
****by Pineapple Princess Tiki**

Tiara glared down from the stage as she finished her audition for the winter musical. It was being wrote by one of the seniors, and Tiara couldn't remember her name at the time. It didn't matter anyway, she just new she needed to get the lead part. Unfortunately, Miss Darbus had left the auditions down to Sharpay, and she knew that made getting the part ten times harder.  
"Hmm..." Muttered Sharpay, standing up. "I don't really know if you're cut out for the part..."  
"Well with all due respect, _Miss Evans_." She gritted her teeth. "I feel I can bring a certain....vibrancy to the part."  
"Well, as you know, the lead parts are normally cast in a pairs audition." Sharpay responded, patronisingly. "And you just simply don't have a partner."  
"Well I'm sure you can work something out." Smiled Tiara, trying to remain calm. With a flick of her hand Sharpay motioned for Tiara to leave the stage. Once she was out of Sharpay's earshot and in the cafeteria, Tiara let out a scream.  
"Woah...Careful I think there's a pack of dogs heading your way..." Smirked Jimmie.  
"WHAT are you doing at _my_ drama club table." She snapped, standing up.  
"Chill babe, I just wanted to know the inside scoop on my lady, Sharpay." He winked. Tiara rolled her eyes.  
"You do understand she's faculty now, right? That would be highly innappropriate." She replied, using as long a words as she could the hope to confuse him, and make him go away.  
"...So she totally digs me, right?" He grinned. Tiara stood up opposite him.  
"Get away you useless piece of filth." She spat. Jimmie shrugged.  
"See ya real soon." He said, heading back downstairs to the basketball table. Tiara sat back down, fuming, and hoping Sharpay would give her a chance, despite what happened at the previous show.

The second Tiara got into school the next day she marched straight over to the drama board, and pulled the callbacks list down from the wall. She looked down the list past the single auditions and found her name.  
"Ah, there we are...Tiara Gold and...." Her eyes went wide in horror. "_Jimmie Zara!"_ before anyone could see the list she marched straight to homeroom where Miss Darbus was setting up the classroom. "Miss Darbus, what is this!"  
"The callbacks, of course!" Smiled Miss Darbus. "Sharpay did a wonderful job of pulling the blossoming flowers from the mass of weeds."  
"Well she let one weed slip through! Why am I auditioning with Jimmie!"  
"Sharpay told me how you had the passion to play the lead role, so her solution was to pair you with another solo performer. I'm sure you and Mr. Zara will do fine together."  
"But Miss Darbus--"  
"Hey partner." Said Jimmie, patting her on the back as the bell rung, and people started filtering into the classroom. Tiara ignored him and sat down.

In free period, Tiara was hiding herself away in the theatre practising her audition piece, when the music stopped. Tiara spun round to find out who it was and lost her footing.  
"Hey!" Called a voice, who then rushed forward, catching her when she was inches from the ground.  
"Thank yo--" Tiara began, when she looked up and saw who it was. "You! Get your greasy hands off of me!"  
"Sorry, I just figured, yknow, we should get our piece practised." Said Jimmie.  
"I would rather play a tree in the show than audition with you."  
"I would rather eat my lucky gym socks than sing with you....or anyone. But I need some way of getting the ladies."  
"How sexist." She noted, turning the music back on. Just as she was starting up, Jimmie turned it off again. "Are you still here?"  
"Face it babe, you need me. How are you gonna start your reign as queen of the school without a joker at your side?" He commented. She glared at him, but thought about it. It's a small price to pay for something so big. He could be forgotten about by the spring musical, of course, and she made herself a mental note to find herself a Ryan-like lacky to perform with before the next show.  
"...Fine." She muttered. "But you follow my lead, you do everything I tell you to, and other than when you're singing, you keep quiet." She snapped. "Speaking of singing..." She grabbed her bag, and ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook, writing a number on it, and handing it over to him. "Vocal lessons. Working with me, you're going to need them. And fast, there's a lot that needs to be done. I felt my ears splitting at the senior musical last year..." She muttered.

After a long rehearsal, Tiara sat at the edge of the stage, exhausted. Working with Jimmie was exhausting, and she never realised how hard choreographing was.  
"Wow, that was intense." Said Jimmie, coming to sit next to her. Tiara nodded, too worn out to respond with a catty remark.  
"So...why do you need the musical to get the 'ladies' as you so kindly put it." She asked. Jimmie shrugged.  
"I thought the basketball thing would help. But I'm getting sick of being compared to Troy. I mean come on, they're...pretty big shoes to fill."  
"Oh I don't know, the school seems to have forgotten about Sharpay's little reign." She shrugged.  
"Oh come on, you know that's not true. Sharpay is hot!"  
"And I'm not?!" Gasped Tiara. Jimmie shrugged.  
"Well...you're alright...you're not her though, are you. You won't be her." Tiara shoved him.  
"How dare you! I'm worth ten of her! What about you, you're just a wannabe! That's the only reason you're playing basketball, and the only reason you're doing this musical! You are not Troy, and you never will be!" Before Jimmie could say another word, Tiara stormed out of the theatre.

Their next few rehearsals were silent ones, as neither could believe what the other had said. Tiara was mad at him for not thinking she was attractive – because come on, who could deny that. And Jimmie was mad at having yet another person compare him to Troy. He had half a mind to drop out of the auditions then and there, but he figured being there was making Tiara mad enough to keep him happy.  
"You're doing it wrong!" She snapped, her heels banging on the stage as she walked over to the mp3 player, and turning it off again. "WHAT is wrong with you! Do you lack a sense of direction?!"  
"Do you lack anger control?" He retorted, yawning. He had done that move wrong on purpose. The auditions were the next day, and he knew that if she didn't think he knew the routine, it would anger her even more.  
"And why aren't you in costume! I ordered you one, it's sitting in wardbrobe!"  
"What? The black jacket with the sequins around the sequins around the edge? No thanks, I would rather come on stage in a towel again."  
"That can be arranged." She glared. "I am making the effort, why won't you! If this is oh-so important to you!"  
"Whatever." Was all he said, struggling making up a good enough excuse. He couldn't focus on messing up the dance and thinking of comebacks at the same time. Huffing, Tiara turned the music back on, and they began dancing again. At the end of the free period, Jimmie had managed to step on her toes five times, forget the words twice, and fall over at least once. It was safe to say, Tiara was very worried about the audition.

As lunchtime rolled round, the lucky hopefuls piled into the theatre ready for their auditions. Sharpay and Miss Darbus were already at their desk, ready to cast the roles, as Miss Darbus decided that due to Sharpay's past rivalry with Tiara, she was probably not the best person to judge her performance. Tiara waited nervously in the wings, looking around. Jimmie was nowhere to be seen. He was in school, as Tiara had caught him at his locker earlier that day to remind him to wear the jacket, which he agreed to as long as it was de-sequinfied by the time of the audition, which it was as Tiara had checked on it. However, several pairs auditions had passed, and they were next, and he was still nowhere to be seen.  
"Next up we have Miss Gold and Mr Zara!" Announced Miss Darbus. There was silence. Tiara was hoping that Jimmie would choose this moment to burst in, but he was still nowhere.  
"Tiara? Jimmie? Where are you?" Asked Sharpay, innocently, but inside she was bursting with joy.  
"...It's just me, Miss Darbus." Said Tiara, eventually giving in, and stepping on the stage. "But I can assure you, this part is perfect for me, and if you just give me a few minutes to find Ji--"  
"I'm sorry, Miss Gold, but I can't make any exceptions." Said Miss Darbus. "Now, if you will please step off the stage. Next up, Miss--"  
"The Rocketman is here!" Shouted a voice from the back of the theatre, before Jimmie ran down a few steps, tripped, and fell the rest of the way. He landed at the feet of Sharpay. "Hey baby, how's about me and you--"  
"Jimmie get up here RIGHT NOW!" Snapped Tiara, stopping her foot on the stage. Everyone else went quiet, and Jimmie grinned and shrugged.  
"You got it." He said, jumping up on stage, and quickly rushing backstage to grab – thankfully for Tiara – his jacket.

The performance went well, and the audience of hopefuls seemed to like the performance, especially since Jimmie didn't put a step out of place, or a note out of key. After the applauds, Jimmie and Tiara left the stage. Once out of sight of everyone, Tiara slapped Jimmie hard on the arm.  
"WHAT was all that about!"  
"Ouch careful, this jacket isn't padded, and you wouldn't wanna injure your partner would you."  
"I want to kill my partner!" She snapped. "Why were you so late!"  
"A mans gotta eat..."  
"Not on callback day he doesn't! And how did you know that?!"  
"Know what?"  
"The routine, you moron! You couldn't put a step right yesterday!"  
"Well what would have been the fun in getting it right yesterday. I wouldn't have got you so mad, and you're kind of cute when you're mad." He grinned.  
"DON'T start flirting! Do you mean to tell me you knew it all along!"  
"Naturally. I'm a basketball player, of course I'm agile. And going to that singing teacher you gave me the number for didn't hurt, either."  
"How could you lie to me! You're disgusting!" Jimmie rolled his eyes at her, which just made her even madder. "You're gross and sweaty!"  
"You're self-obsessed and shallow."  
"At least I'm not TROY-obsessed and creepy!"  
"You've got a lame hairdo."  
"You've got ugly clothes."  
"You're a total loser!"  
"You're a total ice queen!"  
"I hate you!"  
"Not as much as I hate you!" Tiara glared.  
"Don't you dare move!" She snapped, and she pulled him towards her for a kiss, which Jimmie grinned into, hoping that would happen all along. They pulled away after a long time, both knowing that this had been inevitable from the first argument they had had in the last school year.  
"Pick you up at seven?" He asked. Tiara rolled her eyes.  
"You dare call me first, and I'll kill you." She responded, turning on her head and walking in the other direction. Jimmie went to speak, when Tiara called over her shoulder. "Make it seven thirty. And don't make too much of an effort. I want people to see I'm just dating you to be charitable." Jimmie grinned.  
"You've got it, your highness."


End file.
